ChipWits was a software originally created in the mid 1980’s by Doug Sharp. I didn’t have the pleasure to play with it at the time as it was Mac only and I didn’t have a Mac. I heard of it only a few years ago on a mailing list. It had evidently left a lasting impression on persons who had tried it. Some commented this was the best game software they had ever played with.Incidently, I learned that a new version was in preparation and I signed up for beta testing. Unfortunately, the game was then windows only and I am a mac user. I only had a chance to check it out on a PC borrowed for a short period of time. It left with a great impression. This is really a great piece of educational software.The concept is simple. You have a little robot in the room. You have to pilot the robot so to collect various items. To pilot the robot, you have to choose between instructions currently available to you and drag and drop them to define a sequence of events. Correct, you got it. What you do is nothing but learn to program. And you do so in the best way possible. You are introduced to basic concepts first. You get to manipulate the more complex concepts only when you have gained sufficient experience. You get to learn without even noticing. It looks like a game. Grabs your attention like a game. Has you highly motivated about finishing each level.It’s really some of the best resources I have ever come across for teaching to program to you kids.Check it out: chipwits II (mac, windows and soon linux).
